Improvement in journal-boxes



G. G. HUNT.

Car-Axle Box. No. 41,221. Panted 15111.12. 1864.

1T 722mm@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G. G. HUNT, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN JOURNAL-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 11,22li dated January 12, 1864.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, G. G. HUNT, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved JournalBox; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, taken in the plane indicated by the line fr x, Fig. 2. Fig 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, the line y y, Fig. l, indicating the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a journal-box with hollow sides and bottom, whereby an oil fountaiu is produced7 from which the oil is carried up to the axle by means of one or more wicks, said wick or wicks being acted upon by weights or springs in such a manner that they are always held in close contact with the axle, and that they carry up the requisite supply of oil without allowing any waste.

To enable others skill'ed in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A is an axle-box, made of cast-iron or any other suitable material in the usual manner. The brass box B is held in place by the key B', and it is tilted to the journal of the axle C, as clearly shown in the drawings.

A sliding gate, D, iitting on the neck behind the journal, prevents dust or other impurities from entering the box, and the oil or other lubricating material is not allowed to pass out and soil the wheel.

A cover, E, which is fitted to the face of the box by means of dovetailed ilanges and guides, closes the opening through which access can be had to the interior of the box.

The box is made with hollow sides and bottom, so as to create a chamber, F, which extends all around the inner walls of box, and which is capable to receive and hold a comparatively large quantity of oil. Openings a in the outer Walls give access. to the oi1 chamber, and these openings are closed by slides b. The oil chamber communicates through apertures in the inner walls with the interior of the box,and one or more wicks, G, serve to carry the oil up from the chamber to the axle. v

Each of the wicks G passes under the axle C and out through two ofthe apertures c in the opposite sides of the box, and it is subjected to the action of weights d, (or instead of these weights springs might be used,) whereby the same is always kept tight and in close contact with the axle. Each wick extends down near to the bottom of the chamber F, and by its capillary attraction a portion of the oil is taken up and carried to the axle. The axle is thus supplied with the requisite quantity of oil as long as the supply in the chamber lasts, and no oil is wasted. The wick,being held in close contact with the surface of the axle, does not allow the accumulation of a surplus of oil on said axle, and whenever it happens that a few drops run off from the axle they will collect in the bottom of the box, whence they can be readily recovered.

By the use of my box much labor and oil are saved-labor, because when the box is once supplied with oil, no further attention is needed for along time; and oil, because nothing is allowed to waste and no more oil is supplied to the axle but just enough to keep it lubricated.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The employment of a box, A, having hollow sides and hollow bottom,in combination with the axle C and wick G, all in the manner herein shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

G. G. HUNT.

Witnesses:

E. L. CoeswELL, H. C. CoGsWELL. 

